August 12, 2014

Great customer service can come from many different areas of a business. For a company to stay ahead of the competition and keep customers coming back, it becomes critical to deliver on a customer’s expectation the very first time. This can be a challenge for an independent distributor, especially when there could be increased demand due to new technology, supplier/production shutdowns, or seasonal demands. Supplier lead times, numbers of orders, and special customer requests can have a substantial impact on meeting delivery expectations and overall customer service.

Yes, it is true that customer service starts with a knowledgeable and experienced salesperson managing a sale, but it’s up to the operations team consisting of quality, logistics, and compliance to really complete that sale by making sure that the right product gets into the right hands by the right time. Simple, right?

One crucial area where customer expectations are either met or not met is operations. However, the actual operations function that processes orders happens behind the scenes in a warehouse and is typically not visible to a customer.

In theory, operations should be a simple and seamless process, but this is where so many organizations fall short. Having a consistent and structured system in place with an experienced team globally is the first step to delivering a perfect order, which is what every organization strives to do.

In our continued quest for the perfect order, we at Converge have adopted the 5S method in all of our corporate facilities (warehouses) worldwide, which we have mentioned in some of our previous blog posts. This allows us to measure our processes and continue making improvements internally to increase efficiency. That efficiency essentially is passed on to our customers. In addition, we follow an all-encompassing rigorous quality management process with highly trained, on-the-job staff and engineers certified through the IDEA-ICE 3000 standard globally.

For example, in our APAC facilities the operations team, although globally trained in quality control/inspections, and in 5S for efficiency, is more regionally focused. They handle the day-to-day incoming/outgoing inspections, compliance, and shipments for electronic components sourced and any surplus inventoried through our facilities in that part of the world.

Our warehouse operations team in APAC consists of a senior manager for logistics and trade compliance overseeing our Singapore and Hong Kong facilities. Directly reporting to the APAC senior manager is a warehouse manager, an operations manager, the senior global BS team lead (Bangalore), and a supervisor of order management/business support.
This experienced team is essentially responsible for ensuring that customers consistently receive the highest-quality components “on spec and on time” throughout Asia.

So no matter which one of our corporate warehouse facilities processes an order, our customers can have peace of mind knowing that the components that they are receiving have been inspected and shipped according to our efficiently established network and global processes.

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Why Converge?

Converge, a subsidiary of Arrow Electronics, has evolved from an industry-leading electronics components distributor to a full service global supply chain partner. We help create full component life-cycle and process management plans for companies withchallenging sourcing, obsolescence, inventory and supply chain needs.

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Why Converge?

Converge, a subsidiary of Arrow Electronics, has evolved from an industry-leading electronics components distributor to a full service global supply chain partner. We help create full component life-cycle and process management plans for companies withchallenging sourcing, obsolescence, inventory and supply chain needs. Converge is headquartered in Peabody, Massachusetts, and has offices in Foothill Ranch, California; Amsterdam; and Singapore, along with support centers throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. For more information about Converge,visit our website or call 978-538-8000.